THE  YEAR  ONE 

OF  THE  SECOND  CENTURY  OF 
METHODIST  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 

FROM  REPORT  OF 
THE  CORRESPONDING  SECRETARIES 
BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

FRANK  MASON  NORTH 
S.  EARL  TAYLOR 


PRINTED  AND  SENT  TO  PASTORS  BY  ORDER 
EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 
BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


The  Abbott  Press 
New  York 


The  W orlcFwide  Circle  of  Service  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions 


1,120  missionaries  are  maintained,  525  men  and  595 
women,  a  consecrated,  trained,  efficient  body  of  men  and 
women  of  whom  the  church  is  gratefully  proud. 

On  the  various  fields  there  are  14,430  native  workers,  in¬ 
cluding  1,559  ordained  native  preachers,  6,199  unordained 
native  preachers,  3,010  other  male  workers,  and  3,662  native 
female  workers. 

Over  half  a  million  members  and  probationers  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  foreign  fields — 235,530  full 
members  and  269,601  probationers.  In  addition  there  are 
132,263  baptized  children,  making  a  Christian  community  of 
637,000.  In  1919  there  were  59,000  baptisms. 

The  Board  supports  12  Universities  or  Colleges,  strategic¬ 
ally  located  to  supply  and  train  Christian  leadership — having 
135  teachers  and  2,373  students.  Sixty-five  Theological  and 
Bible  Schools  are  supported,  with  206  leaders  and  1,786 
students.  Of  these  several  are  union  institutions. 

One  hundred  and  two  High  Schools  with  1,102  teachers 
and  attendance  of  over  15,700  students.  Over  100,000  child¬ 
ren  are  under  instruction  in  2,726  elementary  schools.  More 
than  9,000  Sunday  Schools  give  religious  training  to  405,000 
children. 

There  are  2,750  churches  and  chapels,  estimated  in  value 
at  more  than  $9,000,000.  1,664  parsonages  and  homes  esti¬ 

mated  in  value  at  $2,724,898. 

Twenty-two  publishing  houses  and  presses  are  maintained, 
producing  books  and  millions  of  pieces  of  Christian  literature 
in  more  than  a  score  of  languages.  Twenty-six  hospitals  are 
conducted. 

Surprising  and  heartening  is  the  devotion  and  consecra¬ 
tion  of  this  rising  church  in  foreign  lands,  as  shown  in  its 
contributions  for  the  support  and  spread  of  the  gospel. 

In  1919,  $1,849,026  was  contributed  by  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Churches  in  foreign  mission  fields. 

3 


Financial  Conditions  at  the  Turn  of  the  Year 


Procedure: 

The  fiscal  year  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  ends 
October  31st.  The  condition  of  the  treasury  is  reported  to 
the  Board  at  its  Annual  Meeting  which  is  held  soon  after 
that  date.  The  fiscal  year  in  the  foreign  fields  is  usually  the 
calendar  year.  Appropriations  to  the  fields  made  by  the 
Board  at  its  Annual  Meeting  become  effective  for  the  ensu¬ 
ing  field  fiscal  year. 

Last  Year: 

At  its  Annual  Meeting  November  19-22,  1920,  the 

treasurer  reported  to  the  Board  for  the  first  full  Centenary 
year  receipts  (including  $85,136  from  legacies,  lapsed  annui¬ 
ties  and  interest  on  permanent  funds)  $6,166,989.  While 
this  amount  was  nearly  three  times  greater  than  that 
received  in  any  year  previous  to  the  Centenary  period,  it  was 
but  63  per  cent.,  of  the  total  pledges  for  foreign  missions,  on 
which  the  program  of  expansion  had  been  based.  Out  of 
this  income  the  appropriations  made  at  the  previous  annual 
meeting,  $5,352,973,  had  been  met,  $812,160  had  been  paid  on 
advances,  chiefly  for  property  investment  in  the  mission  fields 
in  connection  with  the  Centenary  program  and  in  anticipa¬ 
tion  of  the  income  expected  and  pledged,  and  $1,856  were 
carried  forward  as  a  balance  on  current  account. 

The  Current  Year: 

The  appropriations  made  by  the  Board  at  its  last  Annual 
Meeting  were  in  amount  the  same  as  the  receipts  of  the  year 
then  ending,  as  stated  above,  $6,166,989.  Of  this  $600,000 
were  assigned  to  reduction  of  advances,  $5,143,062  to  field 
operations  and  $423,927  to  expenses  of  administration  (in¬ 
cluding  in  that  general  term  both  executive  and  home 
cultivation  activities).*  The  budget  for  expenses  as  finally 
fixed  by  the  Executive  Committee  (see  next  paragraph)  is 
six  and  five-tenths  per  cent.,  which,  in  fact,  is  about  equally 
divided  between  the  executive  and  cultivation  work. 

Further  Adjustments: 

Since  the  adjournment  of  the  Board’s  Annual  Meeting, 
by  action  of  the  Executive  Committee  and  the  general  officers 
of  the  Board,  through  adjustments  of  appropriations,  reduc¬ 
tions  have  been  made  in  both  home  and  field  current  budgets 
for  the  year,  looking  to  the  further  payment  of  advances  in 
the  amount  of  approximately  $700,000.  Thus,  even  if  the 

*  (Note — Under  the  General  Conference  rules  governing  the  Board’s  procedure, 
the  Board  cannot  appropriate  in  any  one  year  an  amount  greater  than  the  receipts 
of  the  previous  year.  Five  months  of  the  Centenary  period  were  included  in  the 
year  ending  October  31,  1919.  The  surplus  above  expenditures  which  resulted,  was 
applied,  by  action  at  the  Annual  Meeting  December  5-8,  1919,  to  the  payment  of  the 
Board’s  share  of  the  expenses  of  Centenary  promotion  and  to  losses  in  exchange.) 

5 


churches  should  provide  for  the  Board’s  work  a  sum  no 
greater  than  that  of  last  year,  at  least  $1,300,000  should  be 
available  for  the  reduction  of  the  obligations  incurred  by  the 
advances  made  in  confident  expectation  of  the  receipt  of 
Centenary  funds. 

Budgets  and  Advances: 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1911-1912,  the  treasurer’s 
report  showed  that  the  current  expenditures  had  at  that  date 
exceeded  the  current  receipts  by  $121,382.  This  created  a 
debt  on  the  current  account.  During  the  past  eight  years 
both  income  and  appropriations  have  annually  increased,  this 
debt  has  been  extinguished  and  no  year  has  closed  with  a 
deficit  in  the  current  budgeted  operations  of  the  Board. 
Nevertheless,  obligations  have  been  incurred  in  connection 
with  the  ever-expanding  program,  chiefly  in  relief  work  and 
by  loans  and  advances  for  projects  in  the  foreign  fields, 
which  would  have  been  fully  cared  for  if,  instead  of  receiving 
sixty-three  per  cent,  of  the  amount  subscribed  for  foreign 
missions,  the  full  Centenary  expectation  had  been  realized. 

Obligations — Analysis  and  Process: 

The  obligations  at  the  close  of  the  fiscal  year  which 
pertain  to  the  regular  work  of  the  Board  were  as  follows : 

1.  Centenary  and  pre-Centenary  advances  on  property 


account  .  $1,557,485 

This  will  be  reduced  even  if  income  no  greater  than 
that  of  last  year  is  received,  by  at  least  $1,300,000. 

2.  Loss  on  Exchange  .  $483,372 


This  may  be  lessened  by  credits  from  favorable  ex¬ 
change  in  both  India  and  China  where  the  losses  have 
been  chiefly  incurred.  Later,  if  not  extinguished  in 
this  way,  the  amount  must  be  provided  in  appropria¬ 
tions. 

3.  Advances  on  home  properties  .  $416,931 

These  properties, — Wallace  Lodge,  Attleboro  Sani¬ 
tarium,  Mountain  Lake  Park,  and  Benson  Springs, — 

were  Centenary  gifts  and  have  a  large  asset  value. 

Their  actual  missionary  value  a  competent  commission 
is  now  determining.  The  amount  of  these  advances  is 
amply  covered  by  securities,  designated  annuities,  and 
the  equities  in  the  properties. 

4.  Balance  due  on  Columbus  Celebration  .  $367,276 

This  is  the  Board’s  proportion  of  what  is  actually  a 
Centenary  Cultivation  expense.  More  than  two-thirds 

of  the  amount  is  provided  for  in  the  appropriations 
for  the  current  year. 

By  the  Board’s  action  three-fourths  of  all  undesignated 
amounts  received  this  year  above  the  actual  appropriations 

(Note — The  difference  between  seventy-two  per  cent,  stated  by  the  treasurer 
of  the  Committee  on  Conservation  and  Advance  to  be  the  proportion  received  on 
Centenary  pledges  this  year  and  sixty-three  per  cent,  for  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions,  as  here  given,  lies  in  the  deductions  made  for  the  apportionments  of  the 
other  Boards  and  the  costs  of  the  work  of  the  Council  of  Boards  of  Benevolence 
and  its  Committees,  which  are  taken  from  the  totals  before  division  is  made 
between  the  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Boards.) 

6 


will  be  applied  on  advances  and  other  obligations.  An 
increase  of  even  twenty  per  cent,  over  last  year’s  receipts 
would  enable  the  Board  to  maintain  and  even  expand  its 
work,  and  at  the  same  time  liquidate  every  obligation  in¬ 
curred  in  its  promotion  of  the  Centenary  program  for  foreign 
missions  whether  expenses,  loss  in  exchange  or  advances  to 
the  fields. 

A  Special  Problem: 

The  Interchurch  underwriting  has  been  paid  from  funds 
borrowed  in  the  banks.  The  amount  of  $1,050,000  includes 
$300,000  assumed  by  the  Board  for  the  Woman’s  Foreign 
Missionary  Society.  Like  the  Boards  and  Societies  of  our 
own  and  other  churches,  this  Board  has  counted  this  total 
amount  an  obligation  and  was  the  first  of  the  large  Boards 
to  meet  it.  The  amount  is  considered  as  a  suspense  account 
item  and  measures  are  being  taken  to  relieve  our  current 
account  of  any  present  embarrassment  from  it  by  arranging 
for  a  long  time  loan  by  which  it  may  be  carried  until  such 
time  as  the  agreements  with  the  Interchurch  and  the  other 
underwriting  agencies  may  be  fulfilled.  It  is  a  most  unwel¬ 
come,  as  it  has  been  a  most  unexpected,  financial  burden.  It 
is  the  earnest  purpose  of  the  Board  to  find  ways  of  carrying 
it  so  as  to  avoid  embarrassment  to  the  current  program  and 
to  plan  for  its  liquidation  without  involving  the  Centenary 
offerings.  If  it  is  found  that  this  cannot  be  done  the  Board 
and  its  officers  will  deal  in  utmost  candor  with  the  church 
whose  representatives  they  are. 

Enforced  Banking: 

The  gifts  of  the  church  reach  the  Board’s  treasury  chiefly 
at  the  time  of  the  Spring  and  Fall  Conferences.  Remittances 
to  the  fields  for  the  maintenance  budgets  of  the  missions 
must  be  made  monthly.  For  intervals  of  four  or  five  months 
twice  each  year,  between  the  Spring  and  Fall  Conference 
sessions,  in  the  absence  of  adequate  regular  payments  direct 
from  the  churches,  the  Board  has  no  recourse  but  to  borrow 
from  the  banks.  Add  to  this  current  requirement,  which  is 
not  the  choice  of  the  Board  but  is  forced  upon  it  by  the 
financial  methods  of  the  whole  church,  first,  the  obligations 
already  referred  to  and,  second,  the  acute  banking  conditions 
at  the  end  of  1920  and  the  beginning  of  1921  and  the  Board’s 
urgent  appeal  for  the  immediate  and  adequate  payment  of 
the  Centenary  pledges  will  seem  not  a  cry  of  alarm,  which 
it  is  not,  but  a  challenge  to  duty,  which  it  surely  is. 

“  The  End  of  the  Matter”: 

Every  existing  financial  problem  can  be  promptly  solved  and  the  adequate 
Centenary  program  for  foreign  missions  can  be  achieved  if  the  church  will 
give  the  Board  its  share  of  one  hundred  per  cent,  of  the  church’s  Centenary 
pledge.  F.  M.  N. 


7 


The  Year  One  of  the  Second  Century  of 
Methodist  Foreign  Missions." 

WE  bring  to  you  a  brief  statement  concerning  the 
year  one  of  the  second  century  of  Methodist 
Missions.  It  is  the  first  complete  year  of  the 
Centenary  five-year  period.  The  inexorable  pro¬ 
cession  of  the  months  has  brought  our  dreams,  our  plans, 
our  successes  to  the  test  of  Time.  We  still  anticipate,  for 
other  years  are  coming.  We  may  not  cease  to  plan,  for 
new  occasions  and  new  tasks  await  the  Church.  But  that 
which  now  concerns  us  chiefly  is  realization. 

In  these  notes  of  an  Around  the  World  Inspection  only  a 
selection  of  facts  and  events  can  find  place  from  the  wealth 
of  material  assembled  by  the  members  of  the  foreign  admin¬ 
istration  staff,  for  whose  fidelity,  wide  information  and  un¬ 
selfish  co-operation,  the  Corresponding  Secretaries  welcome 
this  opportunity  to  make  grateful  acknowledgment.  In  pre¬ 
paring  the  following  review  of  the  field  work  Secretaries 
T.  S.  Donohugh,  Ralph  A.  Ward,  Harry  Farmer,  A.  B.  Moss, 
and  E.  F.  Lee  have  made  most  valuable  suggestions. 

I.— BRIEF  NOTES  OF  THE  WORLD  JOURNEY- 
SECOND  MISSIONARY  CENTURY— YEAR  ONE. 

The  trip  will  be  taken  not  by  trade  routes  but,  as  to 
latitude  and  longitude,  zigzag.  The  inspected  fields  will 
appear  in  the  order  in  which  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
began  work  in  them. 

In  each  of  these  main  divisions  are  different  races, 
nations,  states,  forms  of  government,  languages,  institutions, 
types  of  work,  and,  for  us,  the  amazing  story  of  that  move¬ 
ment  of  the  Spirit  of  God  which  through  the  decades  past 
has  brought  into  contact  with  this  human  life  in  its  indescrib¬ 
able  variety,  the  interpretation  of  the  Gospel  which  we  as 
Christians  and  Methodists  know  and  teach. 

AFRICA  (Excluding  North  Africa). 

The  new  Missionary  Century  found  in  Africa,  for  Meth¬ 
odism,  the  original  mission  in  Liberia,  with  a  history 
of  seventy-seven  years,  and  four  others  (excluding  North 
Africa) — Angola,  our  western  approach  to  the  mysterious 
peoples  and  problems  of  the  Great  Continent,  Rhodesia,  on 
the  high  plateau,  in  British  territory  on  the  East  Coast, 

*  Because  of  the  absence  of  Secretary  Taylor  on  health  leave,  Secretary  North 
is  alone  responsible  for  the  form  and  contents  of  this  report. 

8 


Inhambane,  in  Portuguese  territory  in  the  lowlands  of  the 
East  Coast,  and  the  Belgian  Congo,  a  brave  attempt  of  brave 
people  to  establish  a  Christian  power  house  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  Continent,  the  lower  Belgian  Congo, — under 
four  different  governments,  in  four  varieties  of  climate,  with 
transit  methods  from  jungle  trekking  to  the  modern  railroad, 
committed  to  every  type  of  missionary  service, — industrial, 
medical,  educational,  social,  evangelistic — and  peoples  rang¬ 
ing  from  the  savagery  of  the  cannibal  to  the  culture  of  the 
European. 

The  Mission  force  in  the  five  Conferences  did  not,  in 
1919,  exceed  fifty.  The  record  thus  far  in  1920  of  reinforce¬ 
ments  either  on  the  field,  on  their  way,  or  about  to  sail, 
stands  at  thirty-nine,  among  whom  are  two  doctors,  eight 
trained  nurses,  one  civil  engineer  and  two  graduates  in 
agriculture.  In  addition  to  the  house  purchased  in  Johannes¬ 
burg,  to  include  which  the  Inhambane  work  was  extended 
early  in  the  year,  three  new  houses  have  been  authorized 
in  that  Conference,  where  bad  housing  has  been  from  the 
beginning  a  menace  to  the  health  and  efficiency  of  the 
missionaries.  The  Hospital  in  Inhambane,  started  before 
the  Centenary,  is  now  completed  and  is  the  centre  of  an 
extraordinary  medical  work.  In  Old  Umtali,  Rhodesia, 
preliminary  costs  for  a  hospital  which  will  require  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars  to  complete  have  been  provided,  and 
construction  will  start  as  soon  as  the  architect-engineer 
reaches  the  field.  Plans  are  being  drawn  for  a  ten  thousand 
dollar  hospital  in  Kapanga,  in  the  lower  Belgian  Congo, 
which  will  be  the  only  institution  of  its  kind  in  the  whole 
stretch  of  country  dependent  upon  our  Mission  from 
Kambove,  in  the  Congo,  to  Loanda,  in  Angola,  a  region 
crossed  by  Livingstone  in  one  of  his  marvelous  journeys. 
In  this  broad  reach  from  Loanda  eastward,  set  aside  for 
Methodism  by  the  dreams  and  prayers  of  William  Taylor 
and  staked  out  again  by  Bishop  Johnson  in  his  remarkable 
trek  early  this  year,  at  least  two  new  stations  are  planned, 
three  hundred  miles  apart,  by  which  the  work  on  the 
Coast  and  that  in  the  interior  will  be  brought  into  contact. 
This  will  be  done  as  soon  as  men  can  be  spared  and 
resources  released  for  it.  Adequately  manned  and  equipped 
it  will  be  the  second  line  across  Africa  to  repel  the 
Mohammedan  progress  southward,  the  first  being  that  re¬ 
markable  group  of  missions  which  occupy  the  basin  of  the 
Congo  from  mouth  to  source. 

In  Portuguese  East  Africa  new  territory  is  open  for 
occupation  from  both  our  centres  on  the  East  Coast, 
Rhodesia  and  Inhambane. 

Almost  at  random  other  projects  in  the  program  may  be 
set  down : 


9 


In  Liberia  the  Cox  Memorial  Institute  will  open  on 
the  St.  Paul  River  at  the  site  of  the  old  White  Plains  and 
DeCoursey  Missions.  This  will  be  one  of  the  major 
projects  to  which  Bishop  Clair  will  give  his  attention  on 
reaching  the  field  early  in  1921.  Mrs.  Camphor,  who  has 
returned  to  Liberia  since  the  death  of  Bishop  Camphor 
only  two  days  after  the  close  of  our  last  Annual  Meeting, 
has  acted  as  treasurer  and  will  continue  to  do  so  on  the 
field.  She  will  also  open  a  school  for  girls  for  which  there 
has  been  a  great  demand. 

An  8,000  acre  property  has  been  secured  in  Angola,  at 
Quessua,  for  about  $1,500,  and  definite  proposals  are  under 
way  to  develop  an  agricultural  and  industrial  institute 
at  this  point,  perhaps  the  most  healthful  available  for  our 
mission  work  in  that  field. 

J.  M.  Springer,  pioneer  in  this  work  in  the  Congo  and 
founder  of  the  Mission  itself,  is  again  on  the  field.  Our 
Board  is  co-operating  in  a  most  important  study  of  educa¬ 
tional  needs  and  conditions  in  this  Central  African  field. 

LATIN-AMERICA. 

Latin-America  is  a  term  inclusive  almost  to  the  point 
of  peril.  When  Methodist  work  started  in  Argentina  in 
1836,  the  future  of  the  great  republics  was  not  even 
guessed  at.  But  two  generations  later  liberal  counsels  pre¬ 
vailed  in  shaping  the  Centenary  program  and  most  effective 
direction  of  the  field  and  resources  from  the  home  church 
have  started  many  enterprises  and  have  drawn  the  plans 
and  specifications  for  a  large  constructive  program. 

The  East  Coast. 

On  the  East  Coast,  where  substantial  properties  are 
essential  to  prestige  and  permanence,  Centenary  funds  have 
been  most  timely.  The  Ward  School  in  Buenos  Aires  is 
developing  rapidly  beyond  the  limitations  of  a  commercial 
school,  it  approaches  the  broader  scope  of  a  college.  Twenty 
thousand  dollars  have  been  spent  upon  it.  A  new  campus 
is  being  purchased  and  in  the  near  future  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars  will  be  needed  for  new  buildings. 
Through  all  the  years  there  has  been  no  missionary  home 
in  Buenos  Aires.  Thirty  thousand  dollars  have  been 
invested  in  land,  on  which  homes  are  to  be  erected.  The 
Bible  Training  School  in  Buenos  Aires,  faithfully  main¬ 
tained,  but  stunted  and  inadequate,  is  now  being  developed 
on  a  fifty  thousand  dollar  basis.  Eastern  South  America 
has  been  woefully  undermanned.  At  least  three  additional 
families  should  be  sent  out  during  1921.  Montevideo,  the 
capital  of  Uruguay,  is  developing  very  rapidly  and  we 

10 


should  purchase  a  new  campus  for  our  Boys  School  at 
once,  which  will  cost  at  least  $50,000,  and  then  as  soon  as 
possible  provide  $150,000  for  a  new  building. 

The  Swift  and  Armour  people  have  great  packing  houses 
and  employ  an  army  of  men  and  women.  In  the  packing 
house  district,  known  as  the  Cerro,  we  have  opened  a  Pan- 
American  Institute,  which  is  established  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  people  by  social  and  community  methods.  Money 
has  been  required  for  rent  and  staff  and  the  demand  will 
increase  until  adequate  buildings  are  secured,  for  which 
provision  is  made  in  the  Centenary  surveys  and  which  will 
be  undertaken  when  the  Church  makes  good  its  pledges. 

In  Buenos  Aires,  the  First  Church  has  raised  $100,000, 
and  a  large  part  of  this  is  now  waiting  our  appropriation. 
The  church  is  ready  to  go  ahead  with  its  program  of 
rebuilding  the  central  plant,  as  well  as  completing  the 
Orphanage  and  operating  on  a  larger  scale  the  farm  at 
Mercedes  as  soon  as  the  money  from  the  church  here  is 
in  sight. 

On  the  West  Coast  we  have  the  inheritance  of  the 
schools  founded  by  William  Taylor,  a  fine  but  costly  asset 
for  the  evangelical  program. 

Chile. 

The  work  is  more  than  fifty  years  old.  During  the 
Centenary  period  heavy  advances  have  been  cleared  away 
but  other  commitments  on  the  program  have  been  made 
and  must  be  promptly  provided  for.  Our  large  schools  in 
Iquique,  Santiago  and  Concepcion  must  have  new  buildings 
and  equipment  if  they  are  to  hold  their  influence  and 
become  really  great  missionary  institutions.  In  Santiago 
additional  land  is  needed  and  a  new  building  for  our  First 
Church.  We  join  the  Presbyterians  in  a  Normal  School  in 
Valparaiso  and  for  the  building  twenty  thousand  dollars 
must  be  ready  when  our  partners  are  ready.  We  have  in 
Chile  fifty  congregations  with  scarcely  one  building  worthy 
the  name  of  a  church.  It  is  planned  with  the  co-operation 
of  the  people  to  put  up  five  to  ten  chapels  or  small  churches 
annually  during  the  five  years  of  the  Centenary.  The 
dispensary  opened  in  Santiago  is  proving  a  great  success 
and  out  of  it  should  grow  speedily  the  first  Methodist 
hospital  in  South  America — indeed  the  first  hospital  under 
evangelical  auspices.  The  Bunster  farm  presents  its  prob¬ 
lems.  It  is  a  great  investment  and  is  yielding  large  results. 
Still  it  must  be  paid  for  and  the  advances  upon  it  are  to 
be  met.  The  Training  School  for  Boys  will  be  pressed  to 
larger  realization  as  soon  as  funds  are  available.  The 
Centenary  in  Chile  has  started  much  and  completed  little — 
time  and  the  rest  of  the  funds  are  the  prime  requisite. 

11 


Bolivia. 

The  revolution  seems  not  to  have  disturbed  our  schools 
at  the  capital,  La  Paz  and  Cochabamba.  The  officials  point 
to  our  schools  with  pride,  but  without  modern  school  build¬ 
ings  our  best  efforts  fall  short  and  the  morale  and  prestige 
are  with  great  difficulty  maintained.  Land  has  been  secured 
but,  to  hold  our  increasing  clientele,  suitable  buildings  must 
be  provided.  Delay  here  imperils  our  future  influence.  We 
have  in  our  hands  the  training  of  the  leaders  of  the  people, 
if  only  equipment  can  be  provided  and  staff  maintained. 
As  in  Chile,  heavy  outstanding  obligations  have  been  cleared, 
but  with  the  rubbish  away,  foundations  must  be  laid  and 
the  structures  of  the  larger  enterprise  erected.  Churches 
in  both  cities  are  required  and  homes — at  least  five — for 
our  missionaries. 


Peru. 

In  Lima  the  site  for  a  great  hospital  has  been  purchased. 
The  Anglo-American  Committee,  which  is  in  co-operation, 
has  already  raised  a  large  sum  toward  the  building.  Metho¬ 
dism  here  must  make  good  in  an  operation  the  total  cost 
of  which  is  estimated  to  be  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  though  payment  may  be  made  over  a  period  of 
years.  In  both  Lima  and  Callao  buildings  are  needed  for 
our  High  Schools;  in  the  latter  city,  land,  long  desired, 
has  now  been  purchased.  In  Huancayo  most  satisfactory 
progress  has  been  made  and  evangelistic  opportunities  open 
on  every  hand.  Some  have  been  met  but  at  least  three 
additional  missionary  families  are  needed  and  for  them  it 
will  be  necessary  to  procure  homes,  as  rents  are  exorbitant. 
The  year  has  greatly  broadened  the  work  in  Peru  and  the 
stir  of  promise  is  in  the  hearts  of  our  missionaries  and  our 
people. 


Panama. 

Come  northward  to  Panama.  Costa  Rica  has  expanded 
in  work  and  needs.  It  requires  thirty  thousand  dollars  for 
the  salaries  of  missionaries,  teachers  and  native  preachers 
and  otherwise  to  support  our  evangelistic  and  educational 
work.  This  means  increase  of  force  and  forces.  We  have 
an  important  work  at  David  and  because  we  are  the  only 
American  Mission  working  in  Panama  close  relations  are 
developing  between  our  workers  and  the  Union  churches 
on  the  Canal  Zone.  With  a  central  building  in  Panama 
City — a  plant  that  would  cost  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand 
dollars — in  which  a  social  service  program  might  be  set 
up,  a  large  work  could  be  done  both  for  Panama  City  and 
Balboa,  which  is  connected  with  it  through  the  Canal  Zone. 

12 


Mexico. 

In  Mexico  the  resources  available  have  added  to  the 
equipment  and  inspired  the  workers.  Transfers  between 
our  Church  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
require  funds  at  once  to  meet  the  differences  in  values  and 
for  reconstruction  in  properties  coming  to  us  in  Mexico 
City.  Partial  payments  have  been  made  on  projects  of 
the  Centenary  and  additional  amounts  are  now  required — 
such  as  the  large  building  in  Puebla,  the  Santa  Julia  Church 
in  Mexico  City,  the  Boys’  School  in  Pachuca,  the  Guanajuato 
Hospital,  the  property  for  the  Boys’  School  in  Queretaro. 
New  possibilities  open  in  Mexico.  The  complete  program 
is  being  framed  by  skillful  hands  and  in  a  progressive 
spirit.  The  Centenary  has  already  registered  success  in 
spite  of  difficulties  and  resources  for  the  broader  policy 
must  not  be  lacking. 

EUROPE  AND  NORTH  AFRICA. 

“Emergency”  has  for  two  years  been  the  word  for 
Europe.  The  measures  for  relief  have  commanded  our 
forces  and  our  funds.  The  appeal  for  suffering  Europe  was 
a  part  of  the  Centenary  propaganda.  When  the  way  for 
action  was  open  in  August,  1919,  your  Executives  acted. 
They  knew  what  the  Church  desired  and  what  the  people 
overseas  needed.  The  story  has  been  told.  It  need  not 
be  repeated  here.  Money  and  supplies  were  sent  to  Finland, 
the  three  Scandinavian  countries,  to  Copenhagen  for  Russia, 
Poland  and  the  Baltic  Provinces,  to  Germany,  Austria, 
Hungary,  Serbia,  Bulgaria,  Roumania,  France,  Italy  the 
Near  East,  in  amount  approaching  a  million  of  dollars.  In 
part  this  was  designated  gifts,  the  larger  part  was  advanced 
in  the  confidence  that  the  great  Church  which  had  responded 
with  subscriptions  would  send  also  the  cash.  Besides  the 
relief  of  suffering,  this  prompt  giving  on  the  part  of  a 
great  Church  in  America  has  served  to  maintain  what  little 
remains  of  friendly  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  peoples  of 
Europe  for  the  people  of  the  United  States.  Still  other 

appeals  are  coming  but  the  treasury  is  not  only  empty  but 

unable,  because  of  other  demands,  to  make  fresh  ventures 
in  overseas  relief. 

But  beyond  this  relief  problem  has  been,  from  the  very 
first  days  of  the  Centenary,  the  purpose  of  an  enlarged 
program  for  Europe — reconstructive  because  of  the  devasta¬ 
tion  of  war,  contructive  because  of  the  opportunities  of 
peace.  Before  the  war  the  Board’s  appropriation  to  all 
Europe  did  not  exceed  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 

year,  recognized  and  declared  to  be  inadequate  but  all 

that,  in  view  of  the  absence  of  actual  surveys,  could  at  that 

13 


time  be  included.  The  special  sum  of  two  million  and  a 
half  for  the  first  year  assigned  to  this  Board  and  at  least 
that  much  for  each  of  the  four  succeeding  years,  designated 
for  War  Emergency  and  Reconstruction,  opened  the  way 
for  a  worth  while  program.  Commitments  well  within  the 
anticipated  income  were  made ;  some  have  been  covered  by 
the  income  of  the  past  year  but  more  are  carried  as  an 
advance  since  the  available  funds  are  but  sixty-three  per 
cent,  of  the  total  pledged  income  for  1920.  The  condition 
of  exchange  in  all  of  the  countries,  but  notably  in  Finland, 
Germany,  Austria,  France  and  Italy,  offered  special  ad¬ 
vantages  to  property  investment  and  the  future  will  show 
that  some  extraordinary  sites  and  buildings  have  been 
secured  in  the  program  of  the  past  year. 

By  action  of  the  last  General  Conference  our  European 
work  followed  the  famous  example  of  Gaul,  as  described 
by  Caesar  in  the  first  and  easiest  sentence  in  his  Com¬ 
mentaries, — and  fell  into  three  parts. 

Copenhagen  Area. 

In  the  north  our  Scandinavian  people  have  been  inspired 
to  large  ideals  and  generous  giving.  They  also,  and  quite 
properly,  have  large  expectations  of  co-operation  from 
America.  They  are  quite  ready  to  provide  dollar  for 
dollar  up  to  at  least  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  for 
each  country!  With  the  Centenary  income  anywhere  near 
the  amount  of  the  subscriptions  it  might  be  possible  to 
meet  this  expectation.  At  two-thirds,  it  cannot  be  done. 

Among  the  outstanding  features  of  the  work  in  the 
Copenhagen  Area  may  be  mentioned  the  acquisition  of  a 
fine  central  headquarters  building  in  Kristiania,  Norway. 
This  will  provide  an  opportunity  for  a  wide  range  of  activity 
in  this  important  city.  The  Central  Church  in  Bergen,. 
Norway,  has  been  so  strengthened  that  it  can  go  forward 
toward  a  broad  ministry  of  evangelization,  religious  educa¬ 
tion  and  social  service.  The  emphasis  on  the  latter  will  be 
in  the  form  of  assistance  to  sailors.  The  Jerusalems  Church 
in  Copenhagen  advances  to  new  victories  in  its  broad 
Christian  service  which  not  only  touches  the  life  of  Copen¬ 
hagen  and  its  800,000  population  but  also  has  become  a 
notable  centre  in  which  large  activity  in  the  form  of  war 
relief  has  been  carried  forward.  Orphanage  and  deaconess 
work  has  received  special  attention  throughout  this  area, 
especially  in  Finland.  Plans  are  now  being  formulated  for 
the  establishment  of  a  central  Theological  Seminary  which 
will  serve  these  four  Scandinavian  countries.  The  present 
program  calls  for  its  location  in  the  city  of  Stockholm. 
This  will  provide  the  advantages  of  a  modern  city  and  is 

14 


also,  the  geographic  centre  of  this  area,  it  being  a  possible 
day’s  journey.  To  this  work  Bishop  Bast  is  giving  utmost 
care. 

Zurich  Area. 

Naturally  Bishop  Nuelsen  has  had  many  difficult  prob¬ 
lems  to  face  in  the  task  of  reorganization  and  reconstruction 
in  Central  Europe.  The  opportunity  which  has  been  opened 
to  our  workers  as  a  result  of  Methodist  Relief  activities, 
presents  a  task  with  which  our  thin  line  of  workers  is  unable 
to  cope  adequately.  Most  substantial  work  has  been  done 
in  the  form  of  relief.  This  has  been  supplemented  by  an 
emphasis  upon  work  for  children  which  looks  toward  per¬ 
manence  in  institutional  foundations. 

The  response  to  the  evangelical  appeal  of  our  pastors 
throughout  Germany  and  Austria  and  now  in  the  Baltic 
States,  has  been  very  marked. 

The  Martin  Missions  Institute,  our  Theological  School 
in  Frankfort,  was  re-opened  last  year  under  trying  condi¬ 
tions.  It  was  possible  to  secure  fuel  for  only  one  class 
room ;  this  condition  has  been  relieved  by  a  special  grant 
by  the  Board.  The  school  is  taking  on  renewed  strength  this 
year  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  F.  H.  Otto  Melle.  It  now 
has  thirty  bright,  alert  candidates  for  the  ministry  in  the 
student  body. 

Vienna  today  offers  one  of  the  great  opportunities  for 
service  in  Europe.  Our  Sunday  Schools  and  churches  are  so 
crowded  that  many  people  know  there  is  no  use  in  trying 
to  get  seats.  Negotiations  are  now  in  progress  for  the 
purchase  of  the  Palace  Hotel  on  Mariahilferstrasse.  This 
is  on  a  main  thoroughfare,  less  than  ten  minutes’  walk  from 
the  central  railroad  station,  and  will  provide  adequate  space 
for  a  general  religious  and  social  service  program  in  which 
special  emphasis  can  be  placed  upon  hostels  for  young 
women  and  young  men. 


Paris  Area. 

Reports  indicate  that  Bishop  Blake  is  already  bringing 
to  this  field  a  keenness  of  analysis  and  an  efficiency  in 
administration  which  bespeak  large  achievement  in  the  near 
future. 

He  reports  that  our  orphanage  work  in  France  is  the 
most  outstanding  feature.  The  farm  school  and  orphanage 
in  Charvieu  are  practically  completed  and  work  is  already 
well  under  way.  The  rebuilt  hotel  at  Chateau  Thierry  is 
receiving  much  commendation  from  French  residents  of 
Chateau  Thierry  and  also  from  American  visitors. 

A  center  for  student  work  has  been  secured  in  Paris 
within  a  few  minutes’  walk  of  the  Sorbonne  on  one  side 
and  five  or  six  minutes’  walk  from  the  French  Protestant 

15 


Theological  Faculty  on  the  other.  This  will  make  possible 
the  training  of  our  own  personnel  and  also  the  development 
of  a  much  needed  student  work. 

In  Italy  the  project  of  major  importance  is  the  Collegio. 
One  of  the  departments  has  already  been  transferred  to 
the  new  site  and  work  has  been  begun  in  one  of  the  build¬ 
ings  purchased  with  the  land.  It  will  soon  be  possible  to 
have  the  large  central  building  available  so  that  this  com¬ 
manding  project  will  lend  itself  to  a  steady  development. 

The  orphanage  work  in  Naples  has  already  attracted 
much  favorable  interest.  Reports  indicate  that  a  most 
efficient  relief  and  social  service  program  is  in  operation  at 
Trent  in  Northern  Italy.  Here  the  emphasis  is  upon 
assistance  to  war  widows  and  orphans. 

Bishop  Blake,  Mr.  Frank  E.  Baker  and  Associate  Secre¬ 
tary  Lee  recently  conducted  negotiations  with  both  the 
Servian  and  Albanian  Governments  in  reference  to  the  de¬ 
velopment  of  school  projects.  Negotiations  are  pending  with 
the  Government  of  the  Serbs,  Croats  and  Slovenes  relative 
to  the  development  of  a  farm  and  trade  school  for  young 
men  and  young  women.  This  is  one  of  the  greatest  needs 
in  the  rebuilding  of  this  sturdy  people  and  is  in  the  form 
of  permanent  constructive  war  relief.  The  time  has  passed 
for  large  emphasis  for  emergency  relief  in  this  section. 

The  door  for  us  is  wide  open  in  Albania.  A  request 
comes  from  the  Government  inviting  us  to  enter  this  field 
for  educational  work  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  be  possible 
to  make  a  decided  contribution  to  the  idealism  of  this  new 
nation  which  is  emerging  from  five  centuries  of  Turkish 
repression.  It  is  believed  a  very  definite  call  has  been 
sounded  to  us  to  go  into  this  country  and  to  carry  to  these 
people  an  interpretation  of  a  Christianized  social  order. 

In  this  brief  review  there  is  no  attempt  to  touch  con¬ 
ditions  in  the  reorganized  work  in  Bulgaria,  to  describe  the 
development  of  the  schools  in  Spain,  to  characterize  the 
progress  in  North  Africa,  to  appraise  the  sturdy  advance  in 
Switzerland,  or  to  give  adequate  place  to  other  phases  of 
the  ever  widening  service  which  Methodism  through  this 
Board  is  rendering  to  Europe.  That  service  has  now  ex¬ 
tended  over  seventy  years.  The  beginning  of  a  new  era 
stirs  our  hearts  with  a  strange  confidence  in  the  early 
fruitage  of  the  new  enterprise  to  which,  through  the  Centen¬ 
ary,  the  church  has  set  its  hand. 

CHINA. 

The  first  effect  of  the  Centenary  in  China  has  been  to 
strengthen  existing  work,  not  to  launch  experiments  or 
expand  largely.  It  has  been  to  prepare  our  working  force 
for  the  Centenary  advance. 


16 


I.  Offsetting  War  Losses. 


(a)  Exchange. 

The  war  made  serious  curtailments.  Formerly  $100 
American  money  brought  $200  and  sometimes  $230  Chinese 
money.  The  war  developed  a  premium  on  silver.  Chinese 
currency  Is  silver  money.  Therefore  Chinese  dollars  in¬ 
creased  in  value  in  the  markets  of  the  world.  American 
contributions  bought  fewer  Chinese  dollars  and  for  a  long 
period  have  done  less  than  half  their  former  work.  So 
serious  was  the  result  that  in  some  parts  of  the  country  the 
current  work  of  1919  was  less  than  in  1917.  Naturally  this 
operating  budget  had  to  receive  first  attention  from  Centen¬ 
ary  funds. 

(b)  Increased  Costs. 

The  war  increased  prices.  Living  costs  and  the  cost 
of  building  jumped  an  average  of  25  per  cent,  for  all  China. 
For  this  one  factor  alone  there  must  be  added  25  per  cent, 
to  the  former  annual  receipts,  if  we  were  to  go  forward  at 
our  former  volume  of  work  without  providing  for  any 
advance. 

Transportation  costs*  increased  100  per  cent.  A  company 
of  as  fine  recruits  as  ever  went  to  any  field  have  gone  to 
China  this  year.  Staff  additions  have  been  a  first  claim 
on  Centenary  funds.  Yet  it  has  cost  twice  as  much  to  get 
them  to  the  field  and  our  force  still  is  not  up  to  its  Centenary 
strength  for  this  date. 

II.  Offsetting  Losses  During  the  Centenary  Campaign. 

The  Centenary  campaign  in  America  curtailed  China’s 
income  during  that  period.  A  condition  had  developed  under 
which  the  American  budget  of  some  of  the  China  confer¬ 
ences  was  more  than  half  derived  from  special  gifts  secured 
through  the  direct  personal  appeal  of  missionaries,  and 
the  China  bishops  who  had  a  large  and  responsive  hearing 
in  the  United  States.  In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of 
the  Centenary  Administration,  China  folks  ceased  their 
normal  campaigning  for  special  gift  increases.  Their  budget 
suffered  accordingly.  Advances .  made  to  China  during  the 
years  to  offset  this  deficit  have  had  to  be  met  from  China’s 
share  of  Centenary  receipts  in  1920. 

III.  Increased  Operating  Budget. 

The  appropriations  of  this  year  have  greatly  increased 
the  efficiency  of  our  missionary  staff.  For  many  years 
funds  were  insufficient  to  equip  our  men  on  the  field. 
Several  resigned  simply  because  they  were  given  no  work¬ 
ing  budget.  The  appropriations  of  1920  have  greatly  im¬ 
proved  this  condition. 


17 


IV.  New  Missionaries. 


A  first  Centenary  step  has  been  to  get  new  missionaries 
to  the  field.  Through  the  Centenary,  the  church  had 
pledged  an  advance.  Missionary  reinforcements  were  a 
requisite  for  making  the  financial  increases  effective.  It 
takes  from  three  to  five  years  to  develop  a  producing 
missionary  on  the  field.  The  appropriations  for  1920  have 
provided  40  new  missionaries. 

V.  The  Building  Program. 

A  number  of  minor  building  operations  have  gone  forward 
in  1920.  The  appropriations,  however,  have  made  very  little 
provision  for  building  operations.  As  a  single  illustration 
may  be  cited  the  lack  of  funds  for  the  four  union  universities 
in  which  Methodism  has  a  share.  In  China  Christian  educa¬ 
tion  has  long  been  our  most  powerful  evangelistic  approach. 
The  China-wide  study  of  the  field  in  1919-1920  by  hundreds 
of  our  Methodist  leaders  showed  that  51  per  cent,  of  our 
budget  is  planned  for  educational  work.  We  are  in  a 
great  struggle  to  establish  with  other  denominations  these 
universities.  They  are  central  for  our  educational  system. 
They  are  vital  to  our  whole  program.  They  are  to  set 
Christian  standards  for  government  schools  and  the  leader¬ 
ship  of  New  China  in  a  day  of  social  dissolution  and 
menacing  moral  chaos.  The  Centenary  was  to  strengthen 
these  institutions.  But  to  have  given  the  share  of  Centen¬ 
ary  funds  due  them  on  the  basis  of  their  ratio  in  the 
Centenary  askings  would  have  left  little  and  in  some  con¬ 
ferences  nothing  for  expanding  current  work  along  other 
lines.  We  have  had  to  borrow  from  our  educational  system 
enough  to  provide  the  current  budget  of  other  work.  This 
is  perilous  to  our  program  of  evangelism  at  its  foundation, 
namely,  the  training  of  its  leadership. 

We  have  sent  out  new  missionaries  but  have  been  unable 
to  provide  houses  for  them  to  live  in.  During  the  first 
months  some  of  these  people  have  boarded  at  language 
school  centers.  Accommodations  even  there  are  so  over¬ 
crowded  that  several  have  been  deprived  of  this  essential 
school  preparation,  and  have  gone  directly  to  inland  stations. 
We  have  been  unable  to  prepare  houses  where  these  new 
people  are  to  live  next  year.  Sections  of  the  field  are 
saying  “Do  not  send  us  more  new  missionaries  unless  you 
send  money  for  their  residences.” 

The  increase  in  cost  of  living,  the  cost  for  returning 
work  to  its  pre-war  basis,  the  preparation  of  new  mission¬ 
aries  for  the  staff  necessary  to  carry  out  the  Centenary  in 
the  field — all  these  things  have  demanded  the  use  of  so 
large  a  share  of  the  appropriations  that  the  Centenary 

18 


achievements  which  the  church  wishes  to  see  in  terms  of 
new  churches  and  equipped  hospitals  and  new  schools  have 
scarcely  begun.  The  margin  of  shrinkage  from  the  Centen¬ 
ary  program  would  have  been  a  clear  cut  provision  for  this 
advance.  There  was  no  other  claim  upon  it.  The  shortage 
has  made  impossible  in  China  a  thing  the  church  most  wants 
to  hear  about. 

VI.  Developing  the  Centenary  as  a  Movement  in  China. 

The  challenge  of  the  Chinese  church  and  the  advance 
expected  by  the  American  church  lies  largely  in  the  building 
program,  which  is  scarcely  touched.  The  West  China  Con¬ 
ference  oversubscribed  its  Centenary  goal  for  building 
projects  before  the  Centenary  was  subscribed  in  America. 
Chinese  money  is  paid  in  and  the  membership  is  now  im¬ 
patiently  awaiting  the  time  when  Centenary  funds  will  be 
available  from  this  country.  The  deteriorating  moral  effect 
of  the  hitherto  trusted  American  church  seen  as  failing  to 
carry  out  its  pledge  is  a  genuine  menace  to  the  young  church 
in  non-Christian  lands. 

In  the  Hinghua  Conference  the  Chinese  likewise  matched 
the  pledge  of  us  Americans.  Appropriations  for  1920  have 
been  insufficient  for  their  building  program.  Chinese  had 
gone  forward  in  utter  confidence  that  the  American  section 
of  the  church  would  make  good  its  promise.  Several  church 
buildings  were  erected  so  far  as  Chinese  money  would  carry 
them.  Walls  have  been  left  without  roofs,  and  half  com¬ 
pleted  churches  have  stood  idle  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
Centenary  funds  from  America. 

In  the  face  of  famine  conditions  we  have  just  received 
word  from  our  North  China  Conference  that  by  definite  vote 
of  the  Chinese  themselves  they  propose  a  goal  of  20  per 
cent,  increase  in  self-support  during  this  year  over  last 
year.  Centenary  as  a  contagious,  spiritual,  prophetic  move¬ 
ment  is  coming  to  China. 

JAPAN  AND  KOREA. 

Japan  is  without  question  the  most  aggressive  nation  in 
the  Orient,  and  her  name  is  not  to  be  despised  within  the 
roll  of  progressive  peoples.  A  marvelous  opportunity  is 
presented  here  to  assist  in  fashioning  for  the  Lord’s  King¬ 
dom  the  civilization  of  a  people  highly  self-conscious  politi¬ 
cally,  and  whole-heartedly  industrial  and  commercial. 

In  ecclesiastical  affairs,  the  Methodist  missionaries  find 
themselves  allied  with  the  Japan  Methodist  Church.  Co¬ 
operation  with  this  church  is  cordial  and  efficient. 

During  the  past  two  years  probably  no  other  oriental 
country  has  known  quite  as  violent  a  sky-rocketing  of  prices 
for  essential  commodities  and  materials  as  has  Japan.  Our 

19 


task  there — and  equally  so  in  Korea — has  been  complicated 
by  an  inevitable  and  extraordinary  increase  in  the  costs  of 
the  Mission’s  running-  expenses.  It  was  necessary  to 
advance  the  salary  amounts  paid  to  all  grades  of  workers 
to  largely  increased  figures  simply  to  continue  to  them  a 
decent  living.  Yet,  despite  the  closely  limited  funds  at  our 
disposal,  a  number  of  definite  Centenary  projects  have 
been  launched. 

The  missionary  staff  has  been  increased,  although  not  by 
the  numbers  called  for  in  the  full  Centenary  program.  A 
number  of  chapels  and  churches  have  been  erected,  a  good 
share  of  the  cost  in  these  enterprises  having  been  locally 
provided.  In  the  heart  of  the  shipbuilding  section  at  Naga¬ 
saki,  improvements  have  been  made  on  the  tract  already 
secured,  and  the  erection  of  a  well-equipped  industrial 
church  should  be  one  of  the  first  projects  carried  in  1921. 
Some  additional  support  and  equipment  has  been  granted 
both  to  Aoyama  Gakuin  and  to  Chinzei  Gakuin,  but  the 
normal  development  of  both  schools  has  been  and  will  be 
seriously  retarded  through  our  inability  to  meet  the  full 
program  approved  for  them. 

Helpful  as  has  been  the  achievement  of  the  .  year,  we 
are  not  contributing  our  full  share  to  the  Christianization  of 
Japan  while  property  for  churches  is  unpurchased,  while 
needed  schools  are  unbuilt,  while  a  well-organized  evangelis¬ 
tic  movement  cannot  be  ordered.  And  the  speedy  bringing 
of  Japan  to  Christ  may  well  mean  more  for  the  peace  and 
happiness  of  the  world  than  even  we  dream. 

The  missionary  in  Korea  there  finds  his  problem  terri¬ 
fically  difficult  by  the  fact  that,  rightly  or  wrongly,  the  mass 
of  the  people  are  in  virtual  rebellion  against  a  foreign 
dictatorship,  and  that  the  Christian  community  has  been 
visited  with  dire  persecution  under  the  suspicion  of  foment¬ 
ing  revolution.  Across  all  our  districts  and  in  many  of  our 
churches  the  work  has  been  disrupted  through  imprisonment 
of  preachers  and  leading  laymen.  One  district  superinten¬ 
dent  said  his  district  conference  could  have  been  held  with 
better  effect  in  the  jail. 

Yet,  as  has  been  so  often  the  case,  the  church  has  in¬ 
creased  in  numbers  under  persecution.  The  flame  of  spiritual 
revival  has  burned  bright  on  all  our  altars.  And  the  people 
have  given  astonishing  sums  toward  their  share  of  the 
erection  of  new  churches  under  the  Centenary  program. 
Few  things  have  bruised  our  hearts  more  sorely  than  to 
have  to  postpone  and  deny  the  houses  of  God  to  these 
faithful  persecuted  congregations  when  they  have  poured 
out  their  gifts,  themselves  within  the  fires. 

The  burned  seminary  has  been  restored ;  a  scattering 
few  of  churches  and  chapels  erected,  chiefly  by  designated 

20 


gifts ;  the  Paichai  School  is  nearing  completion ;  and  the 
letting  of  contracts  for  a  series  of  schools  and  a  dormitory 
has  been  ordered ;  but  a  host  of  pressing  needs  from  1920 
must  be  postponed  to  1921.  The  pathos  of  children  with¬ 
out  schools,  the  disappointment  of  congregations  without 
churches,  and  the  tragedy  of  unroofed  walls  as  fears  of  the 
future  are  haunting. 

SOUTHERN  ASIA. 

The  situation  in  India  is  becoming  of  increasing  delicacy. 
The  rising  tide  of  nationalism,  in  which  both  Hindus  and 
Mohammedans  are  sharing,  has  been  and  is  demanding 
new  opportunity  for  self-expression,  and  also  is  showing 
resentment  to  foreign  suggestion  or  control.  The  sensitive¬ 
ness  of  the  Moslem  world  over  the  Turkish  treaty  presents 
a  difficult  problem  for  England.  Many  national  leaders  in 
India  feel  that  all  missionaries  are  associated  with  the 
Government  because  of  their  tendency  to  uphold  British 
rule.  It  does  not  modify  their  thought  in  the  matter  that 
the  British  Government  issues  permits  in  these  days  only 
to  those  missionaries  who  will  agree  to  support  the  Gov¬ 
ernment. 

Our  missionaries  to  India,  therefore,  must  be  chosen 
from  among  those  who  are  wise  and  tactful,  and  well 
prepared  intellectually  as  well  as  spiritually,  for  the  difficult 
part  of  mediators  who  may  be  helpful  to  both  sides  in 
this  controversy,  and  who  may  be  able  to  point  the  way 
clearly  to  the  one  solution  of  the  problems  of  India  and  of 
the  world — Jesus  Christ. 

The  transfer  of  important  subjects,  such  as  education, 
excise,  and  medical  work,  to  Indian  control  presents  new 
problems.  The  missionary  must  be  prepared  to  allow  and 
to  encourage  increasing  leadership  on  the  part  of  the  edu¬ 
cated  people  of  the  land,  and  to  give  the  fullest  opportunity 
for  self-expression  in  all  lines  of  missionary  activity,  while 
guarding  and  guiding  this  expression  so  that  it  may  be 
thoroughly  Christian  as  well  as  Indian. 

The  Lucknow  Christian  College  has  been  one  of  the 
first  to  feel  the  effects  of  this  new  situation.  The  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  Unitary  University  scheme  in  Lucknow  makes 
it  necessary  for  our  mission  to  combine  its  high  school  and 
college  in  an  Intermediate  College.  Our  missionaries  are 
adapting  themselves  loyally  to  the  situation,  with  excellent 
results.  The  Government  is  now  considering  an  increase 
of  the  grant  for  the  new  buildings,  making  it  309,000  Rupees, 
the  largest  amount  which  they  have  ever  given.  Such  a 
grant  is  always  based  upon  co-operation  on  our  part,  and 
$50,000  must  be  provided  for  this  purpose  before  March, 

21 


1922,  that  the  building  of  the  new  Science  Blocks  and  the 
middle  school  may  be  assured.  Other  funds  will  be  required 
for  equipment,  and  for  increased  staff,  and  when  these  are 
provided,  we  should  have  one  of  the  most  effective  institu¬ 
tions  of  its  grade  in  all  of  India. 

Many  of  our  missionaries  in  India  are  suffering  nervously 
from  the  strain.  In  some  cases,  they  have  been  without 
adequate  provision  for  medical  care  or  for  sanitaria  for  rest 
and  refreshment  in  the  hot  seasons.  The  Centenary  program 
contains  fairly  liberal  amounts  for  the  development  of  our 
medical  work,  and  the  provision  of  proper  homes  in  the 
hills  for  our  people.  But  it  has  been  impossible  to  make 
any  advances  in  these  directions  due  to  the  lack  of  money 
for  authorization  in  1920. 

The  new  Tuberculosis  Sanitarium  in  Ajmere,  which  is 
so  full  of  promise,  and  for  which  one  of  our  missionaries 
made  special  preparation  while  in  this  country  on  furlough, 
taking  back  with  him  new  equipment,  is  held  up  for  lack 
of  $20,000. 

A  new  high  school,  costing  $15,000,  has  been  built  at 
Pauri  in  the  mountains  of  North  India,  with  liberal  grants 
from  the  Government  and  funds  advanced  on  the  Centenary. 
A  new  hostel  is  also  being  erected  at  the  same  place.  The 
Bishop  Parker  Memorial  High  School  has  been  completed 
in  Moradabad,  at  a  cost  of  $53,000,  a  large  amount  of  which 
was  provided  by  the  Government.  One  of  our  Methodist 
laymen  is  contributing  $10,000  towards  the  $30,000  required 
by  the  Mission.  A  new  boys’  school  and  training  school  is 
being  developed  at  Sonepat,  near  Delhi,  chiefly  with  gifts 
provided  by  some  of  our  laymen.  The  total  cost  will  be 
$33,000,  and  about  half  of  this  amount  is  in  hand.  New 
Mission  bungalows  have  been  constructed  at  Meerut  and 
Cawnpore,  and  others  have  been  purchased  or  completed 
through  Centenary  funds,  at  Suri  in  Bengal,  Belgaum  in 
South  India,  and  Hardoi  North  India.  Two  new  Mission 
houses  have  also  been  authorized  for  Burma.  A  splendid 
site  has  been  secured  in  Rangoon  for  the  boys’  school,  at 
a  cost  of  $42,000.  $3,000  has  been  spent  for  land  for  the 

high  school  at  Ghaziabad.  $3,500  has  been  spent  for  a 
hostel  for  non-Christians,  at  Narsinghpur,  Central  Provinces. 
$6,700  has  been  provided  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  part  of 
the  Madras  Publishing  House  which  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  $36,000  has  been  provided  for  the  purchase  of  the 
Mission  headquarters  in  Calcutta. 

The  completed  projects  are  as  follows: 

The  completed  buildings  are  the  Pauri  and  Moradabad 
High  Schools,  the  Meerut  house,  the  purchase  of  the 
Belgaum  house,  the  purchase  of  land  at  Ghaziabad  and 

22 


Sonepat.  But,  with  the  exception  of  the  Belgaum  house, 
the  funds  for  these  projects  have  been  advanced  and  are 
being  carried  on  the  field.  The  same  is  also  true  of  the 
purchase  of  land  in  Rangoon,  the  purchase  of  the  property 
at  Suri  in  the  Bengal  Conference. 

Other  buildings  that  are  now  in  process: 

Building  of  the  Gracey  Memorial  Church  at  Sitapur,  at 
a  cost  of  $5,500.  $24,000  has  been  provided  towards  the 

purchase  of  the  Dharamtala  Street  property,  Calcutta,  and 
the  balance  will  be  furnished  in  this  year’s  appropriation. 
$3,500  has  been  furnished  for  the  hostel  for  non-Christians 
in  Narsinghpur,  and  the  building  is  probably  in  process. 
A  new  house  in  Cawnpore.  The  new  hostel  at  Pauri.  New 
Mission  house  in  Rangoon.  New  school  building  in  Thongwa. 
New  sanitarium  at  Kalaw,  Burma — these  three  projects  and 
the  new  Mission  house  in  Thongwa  to  cost  when  completed 
$20,000. 

The  other  projects  provided  for  this  year  are  as  follows: 

The  payment  of  $15,000  on  the  Lucknow  College  project. 
Payment  of  $12,000  or  $14,000  on  the  Dharamtala  Street 
property,  Calcutta.  Payment  of  about  $10,000  on  the  Burma 
projects.  $3,000  on  the  Suri  property.  $5,000  as  our  part 
of  the  magazine  for  non-Christians. 

The  following  plans  and  projects  are  held  up  because  of 
lack  of  funds: 

The  development  of  the  situation  at  Sonepat.  This 
requires  $15,000  in  addition  to  designated  gifts.  The  Butler 
Memorial  at  Delhi.  25,000  Rs.  have  been  spent  for  land, 
but  there  are  no  funds  in  hand  for  this  nor  for  any  other 
part  of  the  project.  10,000  Rs.  has  been  spent  for  land  at 
Ghaz'iabad,  but  no  funds  have  been  received  for  the  high 
school  or  other  developments  there.  A  second  Mission  house 
is  needed  in  Nadiad  before  the  physician  who  is  so  urgently 
needed  can  be  sent  out.  Some  of  the  conferences  have 
secured  funds  locally  for  projects,  in  the  confident  expecta¬ 
tion  of  Centenary  receipts.  Northwest  India  has  spent 
$60,000  in  this  way.  North  India  advanced  $40,000  for  the 
Parker  High  School,  on  which  only  $10,000  has  been  paid. 
South  India  advanced  20,000  Rs.  for  the  Madras  Press, 
which  has  now  been  paid.  Burma  has  advanced  $42,000 
for  the  property  for  the  boys’  high  school. 

SOUTHEASTERN  ASIA. 

In  the  Philippine  Islands  self-support  has  been  stressed 
and  is  steadily  developing.  The  missionary  staff  has  been 
slightly  increased,  but  nowhere  in  proportion  to  what  should 
be  done.  A  number  of  chapels  have  been  provided  by 

23 


designated  gifts,  and  a  new  dormitory  provided  at  San 
Fernando.  Medical  work  has  been  established  at  Aparri  by 
the  remodeling  of  the  old  mission  house,  and  the  erection 
of  a  hospital  there  should  be  an  item  early  in  1921.  Another 
hospital  should  be  erected  at  Dagupan.  One  of  the  most 
pressing  needs  is  the  proper  provision  for  the  student  group 
in  Manila;  the  new  church  for  that  work  should  have  been 
made  pcfesible  in  1920,  but  we  were  under  the  necessity  of 
postponing  it.  The  assignment  of  a  resident  bishop  to 
Manila  has  brought  joy  to  the  staff  in  the  Islands,  and  the 
problems  that  have  seemed  insoluble  will  doubtless  be 
cleared  speedily  under  his  administration. 

In  the  Netherlands  Indies  Conference  the  program  for 
developing  medical  work  has  been  advanced  in  connection 
with  the  Dutch  Government.  It  is  expected  that  two  new 
hospitals  will  be  established  in  1921 — one  at  Sambas,  the 
other  at  Bindjei.  Arrangements  have  already  been  made 
for  the  outgoing  of  the  doctors  and  nurses  necessary  to 
these  plants.  The  educational  program  is  progressing,  but 
some  very  necessary  units  have  been  postponed  from  1920 
to  1921. 

Most  thrilling  is  the  pioneer  work  in  the  Asahan  area 
that  is  developing  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Oechsli. 

During  1920  Malaysia  knew  what  was  probably  the  most 
distressing  situation  that  developed  on  any  field.  By  a 
combination  of  circumstances,  due  to  furloughs  of  some 
and  the  serious  breaks  in  the  health  of  other  missionaries, 
there  was  a  period  of  some  months  when  there  was  no 
missionary  in  Singapore  with  more  than  two  years  of 
experience  on  the  field.  The  rare  devotion  and  extraordinary 
fidelity  displayed  by  this  group  of  young  missionaries  has 
been  an  inspiration  to  all  of  us. 

Within  this  Conference  the  primary  project  for  immediate 
development  is  the  Anglo-Cliinese  College  at  Singapore. 
With  the  assured  sympathy  of  Government,  the  further 
parcels  of  land  necessary  to  a  full  development  should  be 
acquired,  and  the  buildings  erected.  The  difficulties  in 
administration  that  have  been  encountered  will  be  largely 
obviated  by  the  established  residence  of  a  Bishop,  the 
breaks  that  have  occurred  in  the  missionary  staff  will  be 
strengthened  by  the  speedy  departure  of  recruits,  but  the 
normal  development  of  work  and  projects  within  this 
strategic  area  and  the  labor  of  the  Bishop  and  missionaries 
will  be  sadly  handicapped  without  the  full  financial  values 
under  the  Centenary  program. 


24 


II.  MISSIONS  AND  WORLD  MOVEMENTS. 


Thus  we  have  touched  at  the  Mission  ports  on  many 
shores.  It  is  indeed  a  zigzag  journey.  To  Monrovia,  Liberia, 
to  Buenos  Aires,  to  Hamburg,  to  Foochow,  to  Calcutta,  to 
Yokohama,  to  Singapore,  to  Seoul,  to  Manila  and — the 
flag!  For  our  missionary  thinking,  we  may  briefly  record 
certain  clear  impressions. 

^1)  Everywhere  the  people  are  seething  with  a  new 
life;  everywhere  the  spirit  of  democracy  is  thrusting  its 
strength  into  the  heart  of  things.  It  may  be  the  opposition 
in  the  Japanese  Parliament,  the  Korean  revolutionists,  the 
Chinese  students  on  strike,  the  people  of  India  accepting 
the  tasks  of  self-government,  the  South  American  Republics 
guarding  their  freedom,  Mexico  seeking  self-knowledge  and 
self-control,  Europe  tossed  and  tried  but  still  keen  for  the 
principles  of  liberty,  still  the  deadly  foe  of  autocracy.  It 
is  the  same  irrepressible  spirit,  which  registers  a  new  view¬ 
point  and  gives  the  Mission  fields  of  the  world  new  values 
and  to  the  church  new  tasks. 

(2)  In  new  force  the  individual  measures  his  chances 
for  his  goal  and  seeks  methods  to  attain  it.  The  ambition 
for  personal  achievement  is  as  definite  in  the  pagan  and 
heathen  world  as  in  our  own.  Tribal  organization,  family 
conventions,  state  and  social  obligations  have  not  given  way, 
but  amid  them  the  individual  stands  out  and  demands  his 
right.  We  deal  with  peoples  less  docile,  more  curious,  more 
assertive  of  opinion  and  purpose  than  in  the  earlier  approach. 
The  individual  reacts  against  customs  based  upon  race 
prejudice,  sex  distinctions,  domestic  traditions,  hereditary 
government.  In  a  word,  personality  emerges  and  with  it 
our  theory  and  practice  of  missions  must  reckon. 

(3)  Knowledge  reaches  the  peoples  through  agencies 
other  than  Christian  Missions  and  culture  does  not  wait 
for  conversion.  In  India,  China,  Japan,  South  America,  and 
Europe,  we  deal  with  intellectual  equals,  often  with  intellec¬ 
tual  superiors.  Western  learning  is  the  commonplace  of 
education  in  Japan.  Chinese  students  have  taken  back  to 
their  own  circles  in  China  from  the  western  world  the  best 
our  schools  can  give  them.  In  nearly  every  land  institutions 
with  which  we  have  nothing  to  do  are  informing  or  mis¬ 
informing  the  minds  of  youth  and  vitalizing  the  fibre  of  their 
thinking.  Is  it  culture  and  then  religion?  In  many  instances 
it  must  be,  else  there  is  no  chance  for  religion,  for  the 
culture  is  already  there.  But  the  program  of  the  church 
is  tested  at  the  point  where  it  must  reckon  with  culture  as 
well  as  deal  with  the  immature  and  untrained.  The  truth 
and  power  of  the  Gospel  must  operate  on  high  levels,  resting 

25 


upon  the  impregnable  principle  that  always,  everywhere 
character  and  conduct  must  match. 

/  (4)  One  further  impression  the  world  journey  leaves. 

There  is  a  new  outlook  upon  the  world,  and  in  all  nations 
some  minds,  few  or  many,  are  conscious  of  it.  It  has  been 
called  the  international  mind.  It  has  learned  not  to  limit 
interests  or  service  by  latitude  and  longitude.  To  it  pigment 
does  not  make  character  and  language  does  not  mean  insula¬ 
tion.  Human  rights  are  sacred  and  are  the  concern  of  all 
and  the  intercourse  of  nations  has  its  reason  and  its  manners 
as  truly  as  does  the  intercourse  of  individual  men.  National 
sainthood  comes  not  by  the  nation’s  study  of  its  own 
anatomy  after  the  fashion  of  a  reputed  holy  man  of  old,  but 
by  looking  out  upon  the  peoples  and  stretching  out  toward 
them  the  open  hand.  In  spite  of  the  ebbing  of  international 
goodwill,  the  real,  if  remote,  purpose  of  multitudes  is  that 
international  relations  shall  be  Christianized.  A  recent 
writer  has  said :  “The  most  heathen  province  in  the  world 
is  not  found  in  China  or  Africa,  but  in  the  great  field  of 
international  relationships.  This  mighty  realm  of  diplomacy, 
this  great  province  of  international  relationships,  is  further 
removed  from  Christianity  than  the  most  heathen  province 
in  the  most  heathen  country  in  the  world.  It  has  scarcely 
been  touched  by  Christianity.  Pagan  ideals  and  pagan  forces 
prevail  here.” - — 

Let  him  take  courage.  This  Christianization  of  inter¬ 
national  relations  is  one  of  the  accepted  tasks  of  the  mis¬ 
sionary  purpose.  A  Scotch  preacher  in  a  sermon  on  the  war 
and  the  sin  of  the  world  says : 

“The  war  was  brought  on  by  the  sin  of  a  Christendom 
which  has  limited  Christ’s  authority  to  private  occasions  and 
has  excluded  it  in  social  and  public  affairs;  the  sin  of  a 
Christendom  which  has  told  Christ  to  mind  his  own  business 
(which  is  the  saving  of  souls)  and  to  let  society  and  the 
world  alone.” 

It  is  a  missionary  principle  not  “to  let  society  and  the 
world  alone,”  and  that  principle  works  as  truly  toward  the 
right  relationship  of  states  as  it  does  toward  the  right 
relationship  of  men. 

For1  confront  the  fact  we  must.  In  the  spiritual  realm 
alone  can  the  true  sanctions  and  strength  of  democracy  be 
found.  Except  for  the  indwelling  spirit  personality  spends 
its  force  and  moves  to  self-destruction.  Knowledge  is  true 
power  only  when  God  is  in  the  heart  of  it.  No  diplomacy 
of  premiers,  no  league  or  association  of  states,  can  win 
peace  or  restrain  passion  and  transform  the  selfishness  of 
men.  Without  the  Gospel  this  is  proven  a  hopeless  world. 

Everywhere  powerful  forces  are  being  released.  They 
must  be  controlled  or  they  will  destroy.  If  we  would  light 

26 


our  homes  we  must  tame  the  storm.  Is  conduct  to  be 
directed?  Then  find  the  secret  by  which  character  is  made. 
Christ  alone  is  efficient  there.  The  contrast  between  Chris¬ 
tianity  and  other  religions  does  not  lie  primarily  in  what 
each  does  for  the  total  state  but  what  each  does  for 
men.  Parallel  columns  will  show  both  similarities  and 
contrasts — but  nowhere  in  the  parallel  is  the  real  power  of 
the  Gospel  matched — the  release  of  the  soul  from  self  and 
sin — the  inspiration  of  the  human  spirit  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  other  mandates,  here  is  one 
which  comes  from  the  throne  of  power.  To  the  church 
that  mandate  is  given — it  has  no  racial  or  international 
limit — “Go  ye  and  disciple  all  nations — 

That  word  from  the  mountainside  never  was  so  clear 
as  it  is  today.  Never  before  in  the  agitated  world  did  the 
deeps  so  call  to  the  deeps.  Never  was  perfection  more 
completely  defined — or  the  human  mind  more  confused  as 
to  the  method  of  attaining  it,  never  did  humanity  feel  so 
much  and  understand  so  little,  never  was  curiosity  so  bent 
on  knowledge,  or  discontent  so  eager  to  find  rest. 

The  message  of  comfort  for  the  few  is  the  declaration 
of  power  for  all.  The  Gospel  never  more  needed  inter¬ 
pretation  in  its  intensity  and  its  amplitude.  Is  it  a  time  for 
counsels  of  ease?  Shall  we  bivouac  or  shall  we  march? 


27 


III.  MATTERS  OF  EXECUTIVE  CONCERN. 


The  International  Mind. 

The  issues  of  the  Presidential  election  have  reached 
further  around  the  world  than  those  of  any  election  in 
the  history  of  the  United  States.  The  readjustments  in 
Europe  and  the  new  relationships  established  or  hoped  for 
in  all  latitudes  and  longitudes  bore  directly  upon  the 
economic  condition  of  our  own  land  and  opened  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  wide  divergence  of  opinion  concerning  the 
relation  of  this  country  to  the  other  countries  of  the 
world.  One  cannot  question  the  reality  of  the  new  hope 
which  came  to  the  people  of  America,  that  somehow  this 
nation  might  minister  in  the  best  things  to  every  other 
people  on  the  globe.  Just  what  is  connoted  in  the  term 
the  “international  mind”  it  may  be  difficult  to  define.  That 
something  which  might  roughly  be  described  by  that  term 
characterized  the  experience  of  the  people  of  the  United 
States  for  a  few  months  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice, 
few  will  deny.  It  was  a  profound  missionary  impulse  with 
which  our  national  leaders  were  dealing.  The  ideals  which 
commanded  the  devotion  of  multitudes  were  those  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  Whatever  judgment  may  be  passed  now 
or  in  the  future  upon  the  merits  of  the  methods  and  policies 
involved,  the  heart  of  America  quickened  its  beat  with  the 
vision  of  a  world-wide  service.  American  feeling  in  this 
mighty  desire  was  an  asset  of  inestimable  value  to  the  total 
missionary  program.  When,  however,  the  prestige  and 
power  of  this  high  moral  and  spiritual  purpose  was  first 
threatened  and  then  obscured  by  the  agitations  of  political 
discussion  and  manoeuvering,  a  chill  fell  upon  America’s 
missionary  enthusiasm.  The  people  in  every  land  have  felt 
that  the  cable  which  stretched  between  America  and  them 
had  slackened,  and  throughout  the  world  have  known  the 
sinking  heart  which  must  come  when,  in  the  storm,  the 
rescuing  ship  veers,  signals  farewell  and  proceeds  on  her 
course.  It  is  through  these  days  and  these  cross  purposes 
that  the  Board  and  the  multitude  of  its  supporters  of  its 
work  throughout  the  church  have  been  passing  in  these 
recent  months. 


The  General  Conference. 

The  meeting  of  the  General  Conference  at  Des  Moines 
has  had  an  important  bearing  on  the  work  of  this  Board.  In 
its  careful  examination  of  the  procedure  of  the  Boards  and 
of  the  agencies  created  by  them  for  the  celebration  of  the 

28 


Centenary  of  Methodist  Missions,  its  spirit  was  fine  and  its 
methods  effective.  Its  survey  of  world  conditions,  both  in 
its  public  statements  and  discussions  and  in  its  formal 
actions,  was  comprehensive  and  inspiring.  The  decisions 
which  affected  the  interests  of  the  foreign  fields  were,  on 
the  whole,  generous  and  fore-looking.  Its  culminating  act 
in  increasing  the  number  of  bishops  whose  residence  should 
be  in  foreign  lands  registered  in  a  striking  form  the  mighty 
purpose  of  a  great  church  to  serve  the  entire  world  and  to 
promote  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  among  all  peoples  and 
to  challenge  in  every  land  the  forces  of  error  and  of  wrong 
by  the  message  of  a  World  Teacher  and  the  power  of  a 
World  Redeemer.  Doubtless  with  no  lessening  of  its  high 
purpose,  the  General  Conference  decreed  for  the  church,  in 
matters  of  administration,  a  changed  order.  In  this  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  with  other  Boards  of  the 
church,  is  entering  upon  an  untried  path.  What  may  be 
the  outcome  in  ultimate  results  must  wait  for  the  record 
of  future  years.  Your  committees  and  officers  have  loyally 
entered  into  the  new  co-operation  and  will  not  fail  sympath¬ 
etically  to  join  in  promoting  the  common  program  in  the 
home  church.  You,  however,  who  have  in  mind  the  multi¬ 
plied  interests  of  Methodism’s  program  in  every  land  outside 
of  America  will  not  fail  to  study  processes  and  weigh 
results,  since  from  you  no  legislation  has  lifted  the  responsi¬ 
bility  for  the  maintenance  and  development  of  Methodism’s 
program  in  all  the  fields  of  the  world.  No  new  phase  of 
legislation  has  taken  this  responsibility  from  you  and  you 
can  not  surrender  that  responsibility  and  still  be  true  to 
your  solemn  trust. 


Enlarged  Responsibility. 

This,  the  first  full  year  of  the  five  of  the  so-called  Centen¬ 
ary  period,  has  brought  to  the  administrators  of  the  work 
problems  and  tasks  which  it  would  be  idle  to  attempt  to 
describe.  In  1917  the  administration  dealt  with  something 
over  two  millions  of  dollars.  This  year  they  have  administered 
upon  three  times  that  amount.  The  accepted  program  of 
the  Centenary  outlined  institutions  and  activities  in  every 
field  which  required  fresh  study,  new  methods,  larger  staff, 
different  procedure.  The  new  demand  has  been  not  only 
work  that  is  fair  but  work  that  is  excellent.  The  buildings 
must  not  be  makeshifts,  but  models.  The  educators  are  not 
to  be  partly  but  adequately  trained.  The  hospitals  must  be 
equipped  and  conducted  upon  modern  methods.  The  teach¬ 
ing  and  preaching  must  not  lose  their  spiritual  fervor  but 
must  stand  the  test  of  standards  more  clearly  discerned,  both 

29 


by  the  church  at  home  and  the  church  in  the  field.  The 
wiser  care  of  the  health  of  our  missionaries,  both  when  at 
work  in  their  fields  and  at  home  on  furlough ;  the  selection 
of  candidates ;  the  equipment  of  institutions ;  the  production 
of  the  literature  for  the  mission  lands  and  the  creation  of 
plans  for  cultivation,  promotion  and  education  in  the  home 
church  have  presented  a  wealth  of  opportunities  for  widely 
varied  service. 

The  opportunities  for  interdenominational  co-operation  in 
plans  of  clear  outline  and  financial  self-restraint  have  been 
met  in  friendly  spirit  and  practical  participation.  The  test 
of  the  practical  values  in  the  newer  departments,  the  Medical 
and  that  of  Education,  Sunday  Schools  and  Literature  in 
the  Foreign  Field,  has  increased  confidence  in  the  largeness 
of  the  service  which  can  be  rendered  through  them  to  the 
Board’s  effectiveness  in  dealing  with  some  of  the  needs  and 
opportunities  hitherto  practically  untouched.  The  direct 
effectiveness  of  the  Department  of  Personnel  finds  proof  in 
the  fact  that  during  the  year  two  hundred  and  eighty-three 
candidates  for  the  fields  have  been  sent  out  as  missionaries 
or  are  now  prepared  to  go.  The  problems  of  transportation 
have  been  largely  solved  and  the  processes  involved  have 
been  simplified.  To  efficiency  we  have  been  able  to  add 
the  grace  of  hospitality  and  while,  doubtless,  we  sometimes 
fail,  we  seek  earnestly  to  reveal  in  practical  ways  to  mission¬ 
aries,  candidates  and  other  friends  the  heart  sympathy  and 
purpose  which  we  hold  to  be  the  very  center  of  our  entire 
executive  organization. 


The  Financial  Position. 

A  final  word  will  concern  the  financial  position  of  the 
Board,  both  as  to  its  home  administration  and  its  foreign 
enterprises.  Every  Mission  is  working  to  a  program,  a  part 
of  it  fixed,  a  part  of  it  tentative.  The  fixed  program  has 
been  for  the  past  year  held  at  what  has  seemed  to  many  a 
destructive  minimum.  With  the  necessary  increase  of  sup¬ 
port  of  missionaries  and  native  workers,  of  costs  of  trans¬ 
portation,  of  exchange  requirements,  of  costs  of  materials 
of  every  kind,  and  with  an  expansion  rigidly  restricted  to 
the  absolute  requirements  for  life  and  morale,  that  fixed 
minimum  distribution  has  been  almost  disastrously  insuffi¬ 
cient.  The  executive  officers  have  advised  that  no  increase 
in  appropriations  be  made  this  coming  year.  Beyond  this 
minimum  of  maintenance,  stretches  that  program  of  com¬ 
pletion,  expansion,  and  institutional  development,  which 
entered  into  the  surveys  and  which  were  basic  to  the  appeal 

30 


to  the  church  and  the  subscriptions  made  by  it.  With  utmost 
care  in  the  handling  of  income  and  credit,  the  inadequate 
monthly  returns  from  the  Conferences  require  on  a  total 
budget  of,  say,  five  millions  and  a  half  of  dollars,  extra¬ 
ordinarily  large  use  of  the  banks.  That  which  tested  the 
Board,  in  the  days  when  income  was  reckoned  from  twelve 
hundred  thousand  to  two  millions  of  dollars,  on  the  side  of 
banking,  comes  to  be  a  major  problem  when  the  average 
monthly  outlay  approaches  $500,000. 

Here  are  conditions  which  are  not  created  by  your  execu¬ 
tive  officers,  which  have  but  slight  bearing,  if  any,  upon  over¬ 
head  costs.  They  have  to  do  with  the  financial  methods  of 
the  church  in  dealing  with  its  vast  organized  service.  The 
estimated  expense  of  the  administrative  part  of  the  work  will 
fall  slightly  below  the  estimates  of  last  year,  about  $423,000. 
This  includes  the  item  for  increased  rent,  which  will  not 
be  less  than  $20,000,  and  the  item  for  interest,  which  is 
fixed  at  $50,000,  and  which  would  be  reduced  to  a  minimum 
were  it  not  for  the  necessity  of  borrowing  to  meet  the 
recurring  requirements  of  the  work.  Any  embarrassments 
on  this  side  of  the  administration  would  have  been  cleared 
had  the  expectation  of  the  most  conservative  among  us  been 
realized. 

It  may  be  frankly  confessed  that  no  officer  of  the 
Board,  none  of  those  in  touch  with  the  church,  even  in  some 
of  its  unhappy  moments  and  localities,  dreamed  that  upon 
an  expectancy  of  twenty-three  millions  of  dollars,  sixteen 
millions  only  would  be  realized.  With  safe  deductions  and 
making  allowance  for  the  guarantee  of  full  apportionments 
for  all  the  other  Boards  and  the  provision  of  over  a  million 
dollars  for  the  costs  of  the  Conservation  Commission,  the 
amount  divisible  between  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
and  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension 
would  have  been  upwards  of  nineteen  millions  of  dollars. 
Instead,  therefore,  of  receiving  nine  and  a  half  millions  of 
dollars  for  the  program  of  the  year,  your  Board  has  received 
less  than  two-thirds  of  that  amount,  and  now  faces  the 
problem  involved  in  an  accepted  scheme  of  procedure,  which 
calls  for  actual  annual  funds  of  over  nine  millions  of 
dollars,  on  the  basis  of  six  millions.  It  is  but  fair  to  say 
that  had  this  splendid  income  been  approached,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  income  of  four  years  ago,  and  had  plans 
step  by  step  been  developed  for  the  use  of  this  amount, 
conditions  which  now  prevail  would  not  exist.  As  the 
matter  stands,  however,  with  the  program  based  upon  the 
pledge  of  a  great  church  realized  only  up  to  two-thirds  of 
the  expected  amount,  the  embarrassments  of  administration, 
both  at  the  home  base  and  in  the  extended  fields,  is  beyond 
our  power  to  express.  The  hours  and  days  through  which 

31 


we  have  been  passing  would  bring  the  tragedy  of  despair  to 
any  but  the  heart  of  faith. 

And  that  heart  of  faith  beats  strong  and  steady.  Out 
from  the  disappointments  and  the  perplexities  comes  the  far 
vision  of  the  purpose  of  our  Lord.  If  there  be  cloud,  there 
is  a  clear  voice  which  speaks  from  it  if  we  will  but  hear. 
The  world  cannot  escape  from  the  guiding  hand  of  its 
Master.  That  hand  was  pierced  and  it  will  not  falter  or 
fail.  If  our  great  church  can  but  humble  itself,  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  cross,  catch  the  vision  of  the  tears  of 
its  Master  and  Redeemer,  and  from  its  knees  rise  to  its 
new  endeavor,  a  fresh  morning  of  confidence  and  achieve¬ 
ment  will  open  before  it  and  its  victories  will  be  glorious 
because  it  triumphs  by  the  power  of  Him  who  shall  see  of 
the  travail  of  His  soul  and  shall  be  satisfied. 


Printed  February,  1921,  and  Sent  to  Pastors  By  Order  of 
the  Executive  Committee,  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


32 


